Wire-stretcher.



PATENTED APB 28,1903. f

0. J. FOX.

WIRE STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

Witnesses:

WWW/V NITEED STATES CHARLES J. FOX, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

WlRE-STRETQHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 726,668, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed November 5,1901. Serial No. 81,185. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLESJ. FOX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leavenworth, in the county ofLeavenworth and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and usef ullmprovements inWire-Stretchers,of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of wirestretching appliances embodying a bar to be suitably anchored, a sliding member to grip and as it is advanced stretch the wire and as it is withdrawn release the wire, a lever to advance and withdraw said member, and a stationary member to grip the wire and permit it to advance, but prevent material recoil thereof; and my object is to produce a wire-stretcher of this character which is exceedingly simple, strong, durable, and cheap of construction.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,in Which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a wire-stretching appliance embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the opposite side of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sliding dog-carrying sleeve.

In the said drawings, where similar reference-numerals refer to corresponding parts in all the figures, 1 designates the reach-bar, provided at its front end with an eye 2 for engagement with a chain 3 or equivalent device, adapted to be secured at its opposite end to a suitable anchor, such'as a post 4, erected in the ground and suitably braced, if necessary. A link 5 on the front end of and operating in a plane parallel with said reachbar forms aswinging fulcrum at its opposite end for lever 6, pivoted, as at 7, to operate in a parallel plane on a sleeve 8, mounted to reciprocate on said reach-bar. Said sleeve is provided with an upwardly-projecting arm 9, by preference, andwith a horizontal stationaryjaw 10 at the side opposite to said lever. Said jaw is of right-angle form in crosssectionand has the inner side of its rear end beveled, as at. 11 and 12, to facilitate the passage of barbed wire over said jaw.

13 designates a dog toothed or serrated at its lower end by preference and pivoted at its upper end, as at 14, to arm 9 and adapted to swing longitudinally above the base of the jaw and between its vertical arm and the sleeve, the length of the dog being such that in operative position it shall extend at a slight angle downwardly and forwardly, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, in which position it is held normally by the retractile spring 15, connected at its opposite end to a fixed point on .the sleeve.

16 designates a second sleeve which corresponds inall respects to the sleeve described, except that it is secured by rivets 17 or otherwise to the bar, and is therefore stationary. It also has a similar pivoted dog forming a second wire-clamp which automatically engages the wireby the tension of the latter, but releases it when the wire is moved in a direction to increase the tension. I consider it highly important that this fixed sleeve and clamp shall stand on that side of the movable sleeve remote from the anchor for reasons set forth below.

In the practical'operation of this appliance it is preferable to fasten one end of the wire to a corner-post of the fence and then unreel sufficient wire to reach the next corner. The appliance is then secured by means of a chain or otherwise to the last-named post or any other suitable anchor. vated to a point above the jaws 10 of the two sleeves and dropped down upon the horizontal or base portions thereof, the dogs being first swung upwardly out of the way, as indicated by one of them in dotted lines, Fig. 1,

to permit of such disposition of the wire. The dogs are then released and forceddown upon the wire under the power of the springs to the position shown. The lever is now grasped The wire is then eleand thrown from the position shown in full lines, Figs. 1 and 2, to the position shown in dotted lines, said figures. This action by reason of the fulcrum on the longitudinallyimmovable link forces dog-carryingsleeve 8 forward to the position also shown by the dotted lines,said figures,the wire beingdrawn forwardly a corresponding distance because of the fact that the movable dog 13 holds it rigidly upon jaw 10, it being obvious thatthe dog of the stationary sleeve offers no resistance to such movement of the wire. As this stretching or tightening operation is completed and the lever and sliding sleeve are thrown back to their original positions the wire is released by the dog of said sleeve, and therefore tends to recoil under its tension and weight back of the stationary sleeve. This action, however, is checked in its beginning by the dog of the last-named sleeve being caused to automatically clamp the wire firmly down upon the jaw of said sleeve, the strain or tension of the wire holding the dog reliably in this position until the sliding sleeve again moves forward and carries the wire under the action of the lever. As the movable sleeve slides back to take a new grip on the wire the comparatively short length of the latter between the two sleeves will prevent the wire from kinking and will cause the stifiness thereof to release the automatic clamp in the movable sleeve, and the latter when in position near the fixed sleeve commences its return movement with a new bite on the wire. It is obvious that by simply repeating this manipulation any amount of slack in the wire may be taken up and that the wire is not only expeditiously tightened,but that the leverage enables it to be tightened in any desired degree. It is also obvious that as the appliance after once being secured in position renders it possible to take up any amount of slack it makes practically no difference how far it is located from the anchored end of the wire. It may be a few yards or it may be a half-mile.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a wire-stretcher for use in making wire fences or other purposes which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention, and while I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that it is susceptible of change in various particulars without departing from the essential spirit and scope or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a wire-stretcher, the combination with a reach-bar having a connection at its front end for attachment to an anchor, and a rigid sleeve on the bar near its rear end; of a sliding sleeve on the bar between these members, lever-and-lin k mechanism located entirely between and pivoted to both said connection and sliding sleeve for moving the latter, and clamps in both sleeves automatically engaging the wire to prevent its movement away from said anchor and automatically disengaging the wire to permit movement of the latter toward the anchor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. FOX.

Witnesses:

H. O. RODGERS, G. Y. THORPE. 

